1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a transfer assistance device.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-61448 discloses a walking assistance device that that assists a person requiring assistance to walk. The walking assistance device includes a lower extremity frame, an upper extremity frame that is rotatably supported by the lower extremity frame, and a holding part that is supported by the upper extremity frame. The holding part includes a central part on which a central air bag is disposed, a left wing part on which a left air bag is disposed, and a right wing part on which a right air bag is disposed. The central part, the left wing part, and the right wing part are connected to form a C shape as a whole. The central part is disposed to face a front surface of a torso of the person requiring assistance. Likewise, the right wing part is disposed to face a right flank of the torso of the person requiring assistance, and the left wing part is disposed to face a left flank of the torso of the person requiring assistance.
The walking assistance device further includes a central air compressor that adjusts air pressure of the central air bag, a left air compressor that adjusts air pressure of the left air bag, and a right air compressor that adjusts air pressure of the right air bag. Thus, the air pressure of the central air bag, the air pressure of the left air bag, and the air pressure of the right air bag can be independently adjusted, and the air pressure can be differentiated among the central air bag, the left air bag, and the right air bag.
However, with the configuration disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-61448, although the air pressure of the whole central air bag can be adjusted, the air pressure of different regions in the central air bag cannot be independently adjusted. This is also applicable to the lateral (right and left) air bags. There is thus a need for an improved technique that can reduce a burden on the person requiring assistance.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique that adjusts pressure on different parts of one surface (a front surface, lateral surfaces, and a back surface) of a torso of a person being assisted so that the pressure on the above different parts of the one surface relatively differs so as to reduce a burden on the person being assisted at the time of assisting transfer of the person being assisted.